Burton saw White's commercial appeal first, sponsoring him when he was just 7. By the time he was 15, he had a pro boot; now his White Collection is one of the company's hottest sellers.

White is also sponsored by HP. This makes the company's flat- panel TVs great for showcasing the virtual runs created by Ubisoft in its Shaun White Snowboarding video game -- illustrating White's ability to cross-market his brand.

White helped Oakley create its first signature goggle, which quickly became a best seller. All of the company's top athletes now have signature lines.

Looking to connect to the action-sports demographic, Target sponsored White at 15. He recently put Target and Ubisoft together, leading to a limited-edition Target version of his snowboarding video game. On top of that, last fall the Shaun White 4 Target street-wear collection launched. It features T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and skinny jeans (for men and boys).

Red Bull's international reach and caffeinated image boosts White's global impact. The company sent White on a snowboarding trip to Japan, filmed his exploits, then released the video on MTV and as a retail DVD.

This year, White and his brother, Jesse, added a women's line of fitted snowboarding gear to their Burton collection. It was a market no one had thought to exploit. Says Burton founder Jake Burton: Order have been "really strong."